1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to textual message delivery systems and more particularly to a method and apparatus for modifying textual messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
There was a time when people wrote letters to each other and the letters were civil and respectful. Most letters were well thought through and tone was very important because the wrong letter tone could end a relationship. Communications were so slow, it was nearly impossible to correct a faux pas in a timely manner, once the letter was mailed. When someone was angry, they might write an angry letter and plan to mail it, but after a time, when the anger had subsided, they would re-think their letter and not send it. If the writer was really angry, they might prepare the letter for the postman and while handing it to him, decide not to send it. They can even write a new, more constructive letter, that achieves a positive outcome, rather than the inevitable “no-one-wins” outcome the first letter would most likely have sowed.
Times have changed from when postal mail (“snail-mail”) was the only communication method available to everyone. Today, phones, e-mail, internet blogs, voice messaging, text messaging, instant messaging, over-night mail, international over-night mail, cell-phones, and other communications devices provide access to nearly instant communications. Once a message is complete, the message is sent and almost instantly received by its recipients. There is no way to stop it. Once it's gone, it's gone.
With all the available communications options, one might conclude the world is a better place. On the other hand, communications is a tricky business that requires time to consider tone and purpose. Quick communications does not necessarily mean well received communications. Many a user have experienced sending, for example, an e-mail, and unintentionally flaming one of the recipients because of the way the language in the e-mail is interpreted by the receiver. Sometimes unintended emphasis is placed on the selection of words or the sentence structure. In other examples, adjective choice, clause combinations, or even poor sentence structure and mechanics can lead to double meanings or unintended emphasis on certain words. Many users have experienced these types of problems, where a message is misunderstood or its content is socially inappropriate, leading to lengthy e-mail barrages that can take hours to straighten out, cause unneeded stress, and in some circumstances lead to a complete break-down in communications.
There are in the industry, examples of some attempts to correct problems with written communications. Several software providers offer spelling checker engines and grammar checker engines that have, to some level, improved communications between senders and receivers. These engines use rules sets based on established spelling and grammar rules for the given languages. However, there seems to be no checkers available for identifying and fixing flame mail, or hurtful language, or unintended consequences, or projecting the wrong personality, or any other number of un-desired contextual issues that users can wish to modify before a message is sent or, in the alternative, after it is received from a third party.
There is a need, therefore, in our fast paced, communications based society to identify textual communications that include unintended consequences before the communication is sent.